"Why do we always have to read all these old books? Aren’t there any
new books that are any good?"
"Why do we always have to read all these old books? Aren’t there any
new books that are any good?"
These are the questions we began with in January 2004. In search of the answers, two 11th grade advanced placement English classes conducted a nationwide survey of college English professors and asked them to respond to this inquiry: What works of American literature written in the last 50 years do you expect will one day become classic pieces of literature? List of books recommended
We received responses from over half of the professors surveyed and set out to see what made these pieces of literature so noteworthy. Each student read a novel from the list and wrote a review, expressing his opinion of the work and whether it would make a good classroom reading selection.
In the end, we discovered several things about modern American literature.
·
There are indeed some good pieces of literature currently being written by American authors. Many, like Toni Morrison, have already received acclaim for their work, while others have yet to become household names·
Like much of the entertainment industry in the late 20th century, American literature has continued to push the envelope of what can be expressed and explored through writing. We discovered that authors include much more graphic language, adult situations, and violence than in earlier literature. It is a reflection of the society in which we live, yet many of the books recommended as future classics would not be considered suitable for classroom reading today.·
Words continue to possess power over the reader and expectations exist for "what a book should be like." Images that would not be especially disturbing on a movie screen suddenly have more impact in a book; something we might watch is not necessarily something we would feel comfortable reading. We continue to have preconceived notions about what is "acceptable" content in a book and how a story should be told ie. in chronological order from a single perspective. Like others artists, many contemporary authors shatter those expectations in pursuit of creative expression.
Included is a listing of the books recommended by the college professors.
We offer the disclaimer that many on the list are not intended for any but the
most mature readers. If you are interested in the future Ernest Hemingways,
Nathaniel Hawthornes, and Mark Twains, take a look. The future may not be
so far away.
Suzanne Dilday